


Paper Faces

by thoughtslockedupincages



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Action/Adventure, Costume Parties & Masquerades, F/M, Historical, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-08
Updated: 2016-01-12
Packaged: 2018-05-12 12:43:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5666500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thoughtslockedupincages/pseuds/thoughtslockedupincages
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Marinette's history teacher is akumatized and takes all of Paris back into the French Renaissance, both Ladybug and Chat Noir are saved from mind control by their kwamis - but at the price of their super hero abilities. Now, powerless and separated, they must find a new way to join forces and save their beloved city. (masquerade ball and romance included, of course) (reposted from FF.net)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

I absolutely adore Miraculous Ladybug (because I am a sucker for anything super hero and romance and secret identity) and have had this idea rattling around in my head for a while. Reviews would be hugely appreciated. Honest to goodness, guys, they mean the world to me and they motivate me to keep writing. But anywho, without further delay, here it is! I hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

_When we were younger we thought_  
_Everyone was on our side_  
_Then we grew a little bit_  
_And romanticized the time I saw_  
_Flowers in your hair_

Mrs. Tremblay was going to be furious.

Or at least, as furious as Mrs. Tremblay was capable of being. Marinette chewed on the inside of her cheek guiltily as she practically flew through the halls, her backpack jostling against her spine and textbook clutched tightly against her chest. Perhaps if it were any other teacher she would be truly terrified, but at the moment Marinette was more worried about embarrassing her teacher than herself.

"I'm the worst student," she muttered.

From a pocket in her backpack she heard Tiki's upbeat voice, though it was somewhat muffled. "Cheer up, Marinette. If it weren't for you, all of Paris would be underwater by now."

"But she doesn't _know_ that." Marinette heaved a sigh. "I shouldn't have stayed so long to help the police. Maybe if that stupid cat hadn't left so early, I would have been able to make it back before - "

Her words cut off into a yelp as she rounded a corner and ran smack into something, her book dropping to the floor and narrowly missing her foot. Marinette stumbled back, cringing and rubbing her nose.

"I am _so_ sorry. I'm late for class, I wasn't looking where I was going."

Marinette froze halfway down to picking up her book. Her eyes flickered upward and her heart leaped into her throat as she recognized perfectly swooping blonde hair and big green eyes. She swore the temperature in the hall rose ten degrees and she nearly fell over again just trying to pick up her book and keep her gaze locked on him at the same time.

"A-Adrien!" she stammered, offering him a too-wide grin. She straightened abruptly and held up her hand in a stiff wave. "H-history, right? That's where I'm going, too!"

His face lit up with a smile that nearly made her melt. "Perfect! We can be late together."

The idea of walking with Adrien, even the short distance to their classroom, made Marinette feel simultaneously ecstatic and nauseous. She nodded quickly, though, keeping that grin glued to her face as they both resumed their previous speed. Feeling bold, she glanced at him and managed to squeak out, "Why are _you_ late?"

He hesitated for a moment and she briefly wondered if she was prying too much. His face relaxed back into it's smile quickly, though. "Photoshoot ran late. I swear, sometimes I feel like an absolutely terrible student for missing so much school. The teachers must all hate me."

"Hate _you?_ " she laughed, though it sounded forced even to her. "How could anyone hate you? You're amazing." A pause, and she felt her face burn when she realized what she'd said. "At school! That's what I meant. You're amazing at school. And besides, at least you have a legitimate excuse."

"What's yours, then?"

She blinked at him blankly as they rounded another corner. "W-What's my what?"

"Your excuse?"

"Oh!" Marinette's heart jumped into her throat as she desperately racked her brain for something, anything. "My excuse! I do have one. It's, um - I overslept!"

Adrien looked at her incredulously. "It's the afternoon."

Her face grew impossibly hotter. "I meant to say that I, um. I fell asleep! During lunch, I fell asleep. It must have been that, er, that physics homework last night."

He seemed willing enough to accept her story, returning his attention forward as they neared the door to their classroom. "I don't blame you. It took me hours."

They entered the classroom at the same time, seemingly right in the middle of something. All eyes turned toward them. Marinette guessed that her face was as red as a tomato and she practically hid behind Adrien when Mrs. Tremblay glanced over at them.

Their history teacher was a petite, thin woman with glasses that were so big they practically covered her whole face. Her hair was a frizzy, springy mess that she combed back tightly into her bun, and she always seemed to be fidgeting with something. As her gaze met theirs, her face turned almost as red as Marinette's. "I - I hope you two have e-excellent excuses as to why you are late for m-my class?"

She always stuttered when she was trying to act strict.

"My photoshoot ran late because of the akuma attack, Mrs. Tremblay," Adrien explained sheepishly, moving toward his seat and leaving Marinette exposed. "You can call my father if you'd like to confirm."

"That won't b-be necessary." Mrs. Tremblay waved her hand dismissively, turning back toward Marinette. "And you?"

Marinette opened her mouth to spout out her own terrible excuse when Adrien cut her off. "Marinette was helping with the photoshoot. The seamstress we normally keep on hand for emergencies wasn't able to make it, and we needed someone with experience. I dragged Marinette into the shoot when she was walking by… probably on her way here, actually."

Marinette blinked, her heart hammering. Had Adrien just lied? For her? She wasn't sure which surprised her more - the fact that he'd done it or the fact that he'd done it so _well_. But then he flashed her a quick smile and Mrs. Tremblay was once again nodding compliantly and she found that she couldn't care as she sank into her chair beside Alya, who was shooting her a look that said she would be demanding an explanation later.

Mrs. Tremblay clasped her hands together, looking momentarily disoriented. "Where was I?" Her face lit up for a moment. "Ah, yes. I was about to make a wonderful announcement. This class seemed so enthusiastic about the Renaissance period, so I spoke with our principle. He agreed that our upcoming dance should have a historical masquerade theme!"

Marinette was certain she'd never seen their teacher look so delighted. She, too, felt a smile spread across her face. A historical masquerade was certainly different than anything they'd had before, and it beat the typical themes that the school usually came up with. She could design a dress that gave Renaissance fashion a modern twist. And besides, she always seemed for feel more comfortable behind a mask, anyway.

A high pitched keen startled her out of her thoughts and her head whipped toward where Chloe sat, one arm draped over her forehead in distress. "That is completely and _totally_ unfair," she complained, dropping her arm and leaning forward onto her desk. "I had the _perfect_ Under the Sea theme planned. I already bought my dress!"

Mrs. Tremblay's face began to turn pink again. "P-perhaps you can have alterations done, Chloe. After all, the theme has already b-been decided - "

Chloe narrowed her eyes and Marinette's heart sank as she saw her whip out her phone just as the bell rang. "We'll see about that," the blonde muttered, and Marinette knew that was the end of the masquerade dance.

It only took a single conversation for the mayor to persuade the principal to change their theme, and an hour after that for the entire student body to find out. At the moment, though, Alya seemed much more concerned about Marinette and Adrien's late appearance than the fate of their school dance.

"Girl, he totally covered for you!" she exclaimed, grinning as they made their way down the hall.

Marinette blushed, glancing down at the notebooks in her arms. "He probably just didn't want a repeat of my horrible performance in the hall. I sounded like such an idiot!"  
"Oh _no_ , don't you go trying to brush this off as nothing." Alya waved her finger scoldingly. "That was a _big deal_. It shows you he at least cares about you getting in trouble with the teacher. And he knows that you sew!"

"Of course he knows. I won his dad's competition, remember?"

"Still. That's a good sign if I ever saw one."

Marinette felt a glimmer of hope and lifted her gaze to glance at her friend. "You think?"

"Absolutely!" Alya's eyes lit up suddenly. "You should totally use this momentum. Ask him to the dance!"

" _What?_ " Marinette nearly scattered her notebooks all over the floor. "Are you _crazy?_ I can't even ask him to the movies!"

"Oh, come _on_ , Marinette." Her friend nudged her encouragingly. "You can do it! This is the perfect opportunity."

Marinette's heart felt like it was in her throat, but the idea of Adrien agreeing to accompany her to the dance was enough for her to ignore it. "It… it really is, isn't it?"

"That a girl." Alya jutted her chin across the hall, where Adrien stood talking with Nino. The very sight of him made Marinette feel as if her tongue were too big for her mouth. "He's right there. You can do it!"

"I can do it," she agreed faintly as she felt her feet begin to lead her toward him.

It was a miracle she didn't faint before she got there. When she was within a few feet she raised her hand in greeting and Adrien turned his attention toward her, still chuckling at something Nino had just said. Her face was on fire and her palms were sweating and her knees felt like they were going to give out at any moment, but she soldiered on. "Um… h-hey, Adrien. I, er, was just…" She paused, gathered her courage, and took a breath. "I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to - "

She was cut off by what sounded like an explosion. The entire building shook and she was thrown onto her back, the impact knocking the breath out of her lungs. She heard distant shouts, someone laughing in the background. Somewhat dazed, she sat up and blinked.

"Marinette!" Tiki squeaked from her backpack. "Marinette, what's happening?"

"I don't - "

There was another loud boom, and this time a flash of gold light accompanied it. Marinette heard screams, saw Tiki fly from her backpack in front of her. There was a flash of gold, then red, before darkness quickly and suddenly consumed her.


	2. Chapter 2

_we need our luck changed_

_we need some blind faith_

_you have your upswings_

_I have my down days_

The world came back into focus slowly.

Marinette had a pounding headache. Her eyes blinked open slowly, fingers twitching back to life. Dazed, she lifted her hand up slowly to her face, passing it over her eyes. When her vision cleared she frowned, blinking up at high stone ceilings. Her arm rustled strangely when she pulled her arm off her forehead and she glanced at it.

Her eyes widened. Her sleeve had transformed into something poofy at the shoulder and constricting at the wrist, though it was vaguely the same shade of lavender as the shirt she'd been wearing before. Her hand flew to her chest to feel a frilly square neckline. Marinette shot into a seated position and stared at the vast skirts covering her legs, her mouth gaping open.

"Tiki?" she squeaked, hands desperately rummaging around for her backpack as her eyes shot around. She was in some old stone building, water dripping from a leak high above, and she was alone.

"I'm here." The kwami's muffled voice sounded exhausted. Marinette turned her attention toward where she'd heard the sound coming from, somewhere buried in her skirts. Shifting the fabric, she rummaged around until she saw Tiki's wide eyes, though she looked somewhat beaten down.

"Tiki!" Marinette leaned forward and lifted her kwami from her skirts, cradling her in her hands. "What's wrong with you? And what _happened_ here?"

Tiki rubbed at her eyes and carefully sat up, glancing around. "If I had to guess," she said, her usually upbeat voice sounding somewhat faint, "I'd say your history teacher was akumatized."

"Mrs. Tremblay?" Marinette glanced at her dress, then groaned. "All this because of a stupid _dance?_ "

"You didn't seem to think it was so stupid when you were about to ask Adrien to go with you."

Marinette glanced down at Tiki with a hint of a smile, grateful that the kwami was at least well enough to tease. Her smile quickly turned to a frown, though. "What was that flash of light?"

"When the akuma victim took over, they seized control of everyone," Tiki said, attempting to float before falling softly back into Marinette's hands. "That light was their version of mind control. You remember Dark Blade?"

Marinette gently shifted Tiki into one hand and brought the over up to massage her temple, where her headache was intensifying. "How could I forget? So everyone's a mindless drone, now, just like his knights?"

"Not exactly. Or at least, I don't think so. I think everyone keeps control of their own minds as long as they do what your teacher wants - act like they live in the time period and don't resist."

"And if they _don't_ do what she wants?" Marinette felt her stomach twist in anticipation of the answer.

" _Then_ she takes control."

"Spectacular." Marinette closed her eyes and groaned, falling back onto the ground and lying splayed out in defeat. "How am I supposed to fight her when she has control of my mind?"

For the first time, Tiki brightened, her eyes glinting mischievously. "You? Under _her_ mind control? What kind of kwami do you think I am, Marinette?"

Marinette's eyes peeked open. "You mean... you saved me?"

"Of course. And you're lucky I did - if you were under her control, Hawk Moth would already have your Miraculous by now."

Marinette felt shoulders begin to relax, but a moment later she became instantly tense again. "What about Chat Noir?" Suddenly all she could see was her poor cat having his ring torn from his finger, his identity revealed, his powers stolen away from him. What was the last thing she'd said to him? She recalled him flying away right after their fight, just barely staying a moment after the fist bump. _"Sure, leave me to do all the work, you lazy cat!"_ She'd been teasing, of course, but what if he hadn't known that? What if he was lying hurt somewhere, or worse - under Hawk Moth's control - and that was the last thing she ever said to him? While she'd admit that there were some days she wanted to smack the smile off his face, Chat was more than just a partner to her. He was her friend. She cared about him.

"I'm sure his kwami did the same, Marinette," Tiki assured her. The little sprite paused for a moment then, looking hesitant. "But... there is a cost to us using up so much energy."

Marinette lifted her head. "What do you mean?"

"With or without mind control, you won't be able to fight evil. At least, not as Ladybug."

" _What?_ "

Tiki shrugged her tiny shoulders, still looking exhausted. "I'm _sorry_ , Marinette, it was the only thing I could do. I'm too tired to help you transform. At least, not right now."

"When, then?"

"A day, maybe?"

"A _day?_ " Marinette jerked upward again, though she was careful not to drop Tiki. "I don't have a day, Tiki! She could have found Chat by then!"

"I really am sorry, Marinette. If there was any way..."

Tiki trailed off and Marinette's expression softened. "No, _I'm_ sorry. I should be thanking you for saving me, not making you apologize for it. We'll figure something - "

"Marinette!"

She jumped at the sound of her name and spun toward the doorway, where Alya, Nino, and Adrien stood silhouetted, just barely managing to hide Tiki under her skirts in time. All three looked equally miserable in their historical attire, but Alya pushed through, lifting her dress and rushing forward. She dropped beside Marinette and threw her arms around her. "Girl, you had me so worried! We couldn't find you anywhere!"

Marinette tried to feign confusion. "Alya, what's going on? Where are we?"

"More like _when_ are we." Alya pulled back just as Nino and Adrien approached them. "Mrs. Tremblay pulled us back into the French Renaissance."

"How do you know it's her?"

Nino piped up. "No one else cares about this time period as much as she does. Plus, she announced some kind of _grand ball_ or whatever that we're all supposed to attend."

"A _dance?_ " Marinette widened her eyes for effect, though Adrien being so close was having a definite effect on her performance. Luckily, he didn't notice. In fact, he seemed fidgety and uncomfortable, his fingers twitching as if feeling for something that wasn't there. "When?"

"Tomorrow night." Alya frowned. "A few people have tried to fight back, but something weird always happens to them. They start moving around like they don't have control of their own bodies. It's pretty scary, really."

"So we don't have a choice?" Marinette pressed her lips together anxiously.

Nino raised an eyebrow. "If we had a choice, do you think I'd be preparing to attend some overrated tea party wearing _this?_ "

Marinette giggled and Alya glanced over her shoulder at the boy gratefully before returning her attention to Marinette. "Hopefully Ladybug and Chat Noir will get us out of this mess."

At that Adrien's head jerked up, and Marinette was startled by the obvious frustration on his face. It quickly relaxed, though, when he saw her looking, and he offered her a halfhearted smile. Even then she felt slightly light headed.

"Unless Ladybug and Chat Noir are under the same mind spell that everyone else is," Nino piped up suddenly.

Marinette felt a surge of shame but quickly shoved it down. Now wasn't the time for feeling bad for letting down her city. They would just have to figure something else out.

"You think?" Alya's eyes had widened as if she hadn't even considered the idea before. "Without Ladybug and Chat Noir, we're doomed. They _have_ to be okay."

Surprisingly, Adrien was the one to step forward, putting his hand on Alya's shoulder reassuringly. "Ladybug and Chat Noir aren't the only thing Paris has going for it. The people here are strong, too."

"But what can _we_ do?" Nino threw out his arms hopelessly before pointing to his temple. "She's in our _heads_ , dude."

"Wait." Marinette glanced up suddenly, her eyes flashing with an idea. "You said the ball is tomorrow _night?_ "

Alya nodded. "What are you thinking, girl?"

"I'm thinking we _can_ do something." Feeling Adrien's gaze settle on her curiously, her face almost instantly grew hot. "I - I mean, we can try. What have we got to lose, anyway? I can even throw together outfits for us to wear." When Nino glanced at her doubtfully she managed a laugh. " _Comfortable_ outfits. Ones that make us look much better than we do now."

"Do you have a plan? _Besides_ clothes?" Alya raised her eyebrows.

Marinette grinned. "I do. But clothes come first. Do you think you guys can find a tailor? Or a dress shop?"

"In Paris?" Adrien actually managed a grin _(one that Marinette could help but think looked familiar, almost like- )_ "I think we can manage."

"Good." As Alya helped Marinette to her feet, the designer began rattling off the supplies she would need. They agreed on a meeting place and quickly split up, though Marinette lingered for a moment.

She felt Tiki fly up and perch heavily on her shoulder, slightly out of breath. "Four outfits in one day, Marinette? Isn't that a lot?"

"Six, actually."

Her kwami blinked, and Marinette grinned.

"I think I'm going to invite Ladybug and Chat Noir to this party, as well."


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest, I'm hugely in love with Marichat - I've read just about every fanfic out there, and it's one of the reasons Evillustrator is among my favorite episodes - but I'm letting you guys know ahead of time that I've decided to challenge myself by focusing on Adrinette in this particular fic. In the future I'll probably try my hand at Marichat, but for now I'm kind of curious to see how they develop without their secret identities. This chapter's going to be a huge example of that, so I hope it's decent and you guys like it. Thanks for all the support - it means the world!

 

_a lot of friends tell me she's got a halo_

_I think I knew that right from the get go_

_but if there's something tucked beneath her floorboards_

_well that's quite alright, that's quite alright, it's alright_

 

Marinette grimaced as she tugged at the fabric of Nino's suit, glaring in dissatisfaction at the stitching she'd just finished. It held, but her lines were sloppier and more noticeable than usual. If she'd had her sewing machine, or even fabric she was used to working with, it might look better. As it was, it was only a slight improvement. She'd promised to make him look stunning, and the suit in her hand was anything but. Releasing a huge sigh, she leaned forward and buried her face in the fabric in her lap.

"It's not _that_ bad, Marinette."

"You don't have to be nice, Tiki." Marinette's voice was muffled by the suit.

"I'm being honest! It looks nice."

"I promised them something _brilliant_." She lifted her head and shoved dark hair from her face in frustration. "It's just that this fabric... and I don't have my usual supplies..."

Tiki tilted her head from where she sat on the table. Alya had managed to find them a seemingly abandoned house (Nino told them that most people were grouping together, hoping to find strength in numbers, so there were dozens of empty houses on the streets). It wasn't large, but it had a little room in the back with a large table in front of a window and sewing supplies lying about. Marinette guessed that before the transformation it had belonged to an older woman with a passion for sewing clothes and costumes for her grandchildren. "You've worked in worse conditions before."

Leaning her elbows onto the table, Marinette held her head in her hands. In the other room she heard the quiet chatter of her friends. She'd given them all the task of cutting some of the fabric they'd found - she couldn't finish six outfits on her own no matter how hard she tried - and she longed to be with them. Instead she was left alone to work. The sky had long since gone dark, and the warm flicker of the candle was making it difficult to stay awake. "It's all this pressure," she admitted, staring down at the crumbled suit between her arms.

"You deal with pressure all the time!"

"Yeah, as _Ladybug_ ," Marinette sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "Maybe this is what happens to me when I lose that other half of me. I just become this useless, scared little girl."

"You know that's not true." She felt Tiki's small figure brush against her arm comfortingly. "Marinette is just as strong and tough as Ladybug."

"What if my plan doesn't work?" Silence. "He's getting smarter, Tiki. If Chat and I had been brainwashed, the fight would have been over before it began. He _knew_ that."

"You're getting smarter, too, Marinette. You just have to have a little more faith in - "

A knock on the door cut her kwami off. Marinette was so startled she nearly fell out of her chair, and just barely managed to hide Tiki under a pile of fabric before the door opened cautiously. "Marinette?"

"A-Adrien!" Marinette twisted around and plastered a smile onto her face as the blonde ducked into the room, holding some cut fabric in his arms.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He offered her a brief smile and she turned away abruptly, breath catching in her throat. Hurriedly she moved to clear a space on the table. He set down the fabric but didn't leave, instead leaning in to look at Nino's suit.

"It looks great so far," he encouraged, and Marinette was startled to realize he sounded genuine. _Probably just being polite._

She frowned, pressing one hand against her forehead. "The lines are all wrong," she mumbled, temporarily forgetting who she was talking to. Instead, all her focus was directed toward the mess of a suit. "And the stitching is so uneven."

Adrien came closer, his hand resting on the back of her chair. She didn't dare breathe. "You're being too hard on yourself." Marinette was terrified to turn and look at his expression, so she kept her eyes glued on the suit. "Honestly, Marinette, you've done more than any of the rest of us. You don't even have your normal supplies, and it still looks amazing."

Her face felt like it might be on fire. " _You're_ the amazing one," she mumbled. Then, realizing what she'd said when an awkward pause ensued, she quickly added, "At, um, working with what you've got. I mean. I meant. I - um."

Adrien moved from behind her, grabbing a chair and dragging it over. His eyebrows were drawn together and he looked so consumed by thought that he hardly seemed to notice her. It was probably for the best - he wouldn't be able to see how red she was. "I wish that were true. I feel pretty useless."

"You're not useless!" Marinette protested immediately, instinctively. "You've helped out loads."

He smiled, but it was halfhearted, and he kept his eyes lowered. Marinette slowly turned back toward her work, hoping to make him more comfortable as she took up her sewing again. After a few moments he sighed, and she felt his gaze return to her face. "I guess I'm just used to helping out more. And I'm... I'm really worried."

"About what?" She nearly stuck herself, distracted. "We've got a plan. We - "

"Not about that. I have faith in you." _That makes one of us_ , Marinette thought with a dry smile in the beat of silence that followed. "I'm just... I have a friend. I think she might have gotten - ah - hurt, I guess. During the initial attack."

Marinette's heart sunk. _She?_ "You should go try to find her, then," she said, faking enthusiasm. "Make sure she's okay."

"I can't." At her glance of curiosity he averted his gaze toward the window. "It's complicated."

Subconsciously her mind flashed to Chat Noir. Tiki said his kwami had probably protected him, but... she returned to her work, frowning. "I think I know what you mean."

They sat in surprisingly comfortable silence for a few minutes before sure finally held up the suit, pressing her lips together and looking over it critically. Not her best work, but it would do in a pinch.

"Nino will love it," Adrien assured her as he leaned forward, feeling the cuffs of the suit. He paused, his gaze catching on something, and Marinette followed it. Some of her brief charcoal sketches of his and Alya's outfits were peeking out from underneath the fabric. He was reaching for them before she could stop him, and he studied them for a moment before glancing up at her. "These are brilliant, Marinette. You're really talented."

She blushed furiously but didn't dare try to snatch them away. "Th-thanks."

"Where's yours?"

Marinette avoided looking directly at him, terrified of further embarrassing herself, and waved her hand dismissively. "I'll get to it eventually."

Adrien's face spread into an uncharacteristic grin that reminded her a bit of Chat as he reached for some of the fabrics and began to hold them up to her. She giggled, leaning away. "What are you doing?"

"What _my_ designers always do for _me_ ," he said with a soft laugh. "It's always, 'What's his _color?_ This is too dark, this is too pale, this is too patterned.'" He mimicked them in a high pitched voice that had Marinette grinning right along with him before she gently pushed his hand away.

"It doesn't matter how I _look._ " Her shyness returned with a sudden ferocity when she realized the way he was watching her, and she turned back toward the table, wiping her sweating palms on the skirt of her dress. "We have a _plan_ , remember?"

"That hasn't stopped you from making sure the rest of us look our very best." He raised an eyebrow.

Not sure how to respond, Marinette fluttered one hand in the air as a dismissal of the topic. "Speaking of, I should get back to work."

Adrien stood and stretched. "For the record, I think _your_ color is red."

Her heart nearly stopped. She stared down intently at the sketches he'd left on the table. "Why do you think so?"

He shrugged. "It just seems like it would suit you." As he began to move toward the door, he set a hand on her shoulder briefly. "It's late. You should get some sleep."

"S-soon," she promised faintly, finding it immensely difficult to breathe. A moment later he was gone, the door clicking behind him.

"He's right, you know," Tiki piped up as she began to move beneath the fabrics, lifting one up to peek from beneath it. "Red _does_ suit you."

Marinette shook her head with a chuckle. "Stop joking around, Tiki." Her gaze caught on the red fabric lying at the end of the table and her lips twitched up into a ghost of a smile. "Besides, you're forgetting about our very special guests. That fabric's reserved."

After a few minutes of starting on Alya's dress she leaned back, pressing her palms into her eyes. Tiki managed to float a bit as she made her way to the front of the table. "Adrien's right, you know. You need rest."

There was a moment's silence. "Do you really think he's okay, Tiki?"

"Who? Chat Noir?"

Marinette peeled her hands away from her eyes and glared at the ceiling. "What if he's hurt? What if Hawk Moth has him?"

Tiki peered at her curiously. "You're really that worried about him?"

"Of course I am. He's my partner." Marinette sighed before grudgingly adding, "And my friend. I don't know what I'd do without him."

Her kwami hesitated. "I can't promise you that he's okay, Marinette, or that he'll catch on to your plan if he is. When you face the akuma tomorrow, you could easily be doing it along."

"I know." Marinette glanced at a green swatch that reminded her just a bit too much of glittering green eyes and a Cheshire smile. Her heart twinged. "I know."


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a fluff chapter, I apologize, but it does have Adrinette! Probably as a result of watching that Kung Food episode, which was amazing by the way. I watched it in French at 2:40 in the morning even though I don't know a word, so I guess I win the Miraculous obsession award. Anyway, I really hope you guys enjoy the chapter. Thank you so much for the support!

"Girl, this looks _amazing._ "

Marinette looked up from where she was hemming and shot her friend a quick smile. "I'm glad you think so. It's going to be a little tight around the shoulders, but I was pressed for time, so just remember not to strain your arms forward too much and you should be fine."

Alya tentatively reached forward, testing, before dropping her arms and shrugging. "Nino and Adrien look great, too. Even if this plan of yours doesn't work, at least we'll go out looking fabulous."

Marinette giggled, finishing her hemming and standing to admire her work. Alya stepped off the rickety stool she'd been balancing on and spun in front of the dusty mirror they'd propped against the wall, her eyes lighting up as lavender and cream colored fabric swirled at her ankles. "You look beautiful, Alya," Marinette complimented with a grin.

Her friend turned to her, hands planted on her hips. "What about you, then? We have to make sure you look perfect for when Adrien and Nino get back."

Marinette faltered but pretended not to know what her friend was talking about, moving toward the back of the room to gather up what appeared to be the final dress. "I don't have to look _perfect_. I just have to fit in."

Alya was having none of it. "You _know_ that's not what I'm talking about. Adrien was in your room for an awful long time last night, considering he was only delivering cut fabric. And you actually looked like you knew how to breathe when you making last minute modifications to his suit today."

Marinette waved her hand dismissively. She _had_ been somewhat more comfortable around the blonde than she should have been while fixing his sleeves, but she blamed that more on sleep deprivation than anything else. The sky over Paris had just been beginning to lighten when she had finally gone to bed, sneaking into the other room to find her other friends fast asleep and a space saved for her next to Alya on one of the beds. She'd stripped off her outer layer of clothing, finding that underwear from the Renaissance era could be regular clothing by modern standards, and slipped under scratchy blankets. A few hours later she'd woken up again to the sound of people bustling about outside and her friends getting up to prepare for the long day ahead of them. She'd buried her head in her pillow for a solid fifteen minutes, hating everything, before finally managing to drag herself out of bed in time for Adrien to produce a fresh biscuit for her that Nino and Alya had picked up just a few minutes earlier. She'd been too tired to even blush as she wolfed it down.

"Nothing happened." Marinette struggled with the bundle in her arms and Alya came to help her, taking the dress from her hands and ordering her up onto the stool. "We just talked for a bit, that was all." She paused, biting her bottom lip. "He... he mentioned another girl that he was worried about."

Alya dumped the dress on a nearby chair and paused, glancing up to evaluate Marinette's expression. Then she dashed her a grin as she began to search through the pile of blue fabric to find where the laces started. "By the time I'm finished with you, he won't even remember that other girl's name."

Marinette glanced at her somewhat warped reflection in the mirror, dragging a hand through her tangled hair. She had dark circles under her eyes. "I'm afraid I haven't given you much to work with."

"Nonsense." Alya approached her cheerily, hands folded over her chest. "But we _will_ start with that twisted underskirt. And girl, didn't you think to take those stays off? You're so tiny, you really don't need them anyway."

Her friend's fast fingers went to work, first unlacing her stays. Marinette was surprised at how her ribs ached with the freedom of being able to move again. She'd barely noticed she'd been wearing it. Alya tried a few times to straighten the skirt out before finally giving a sigh of frustration. "We'll have to take it off and put it back on again. You don't mind, do you?"

"Whatever you need to do," Marinette replied, more to humor her friend than satisfy herself. At the moment she was simply grateful that she'd designed the Ladybug costume in a way that she could get in and out of it herself - and quickly. She felt Alya remove the skirt and her teeth instantly began to chatter as her bare legs were exposed and she was left in her chemise. "H-Hurry up, Alya. It's c- _cold_ in here!"

"I'm going, I'm going."

Alya had just smoothed out the skirt over the back of the chair when the door opened, startling them both.

"Hey, Marinette, Nino was wondering if the rope you needed could be - "

Adrien caught sight of Marinette and his face instantly went red. Marinette could feel her own face doing the same and had to suppress the urge to yelp and leap into a hiding space, instead bending her knees to make the chemise look longer and covering her chest quickly with her arms. "A-Adrien!" She stammered, her voice far more squeaky than it should have been.

"I'm _so_ sorry." Adrien's voice also seemed a little more high pitched than normal and his eyes were wide, glued to Marinette's face as if afraid to look elsewhere. "I - I just came back to - um, you know what, I'll let you get changed. Nino just has a, uh, a question for you. When you're done."

He spun on his heels and quickly went back the way he came.

Marinette dropped off the stool and sank close to the floor, burying her face in her hands. She wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. "That was _awful_ ," she practically wailed. "Did you see his face?"

"Yes, you certainly seemed to have quite the effect on him."

" _Alya._ " Marinette reached out and smacked her friend on the leg. She took a deep breath and glanced up, blowing some hair out of her face. "That's it. My life is over."

Alya rolled her eyes and helped the darker haired girl to her feet, guiding her back onto the stool. "Your life isn't over. Girl, it wasn't even that bad. It's not like you were wearing _nothing."_

Marinette's shoulders were slumped as she glared down at her feet, unable to keep her face from burning even when Alya had finally put the underskirt back on. "He's never going to talk to you again."

Alya clucked her tongue. "With the expression he had, I'd be surprised if he ever _stopped_ trying to talk to you."

"He was _humiliated,_ Alya. Did you see the way he stared?" Marinette thought she might cry.

Her friend wore an odd smile as she shook her head and rolled her eyes, murmuring under her breath, "When are you _ever_ going to learn?"

Putting on the dress was a feat. With Marinette's experienced hands it would have taken minutes, but between guiding Alya and trying to recover from the incident with Adrien, the process took nearly half an hour. And then, of course, Alya insisted on fixing Marinette's hair, brushing it out and refusing to put it into its usual two pigtails.

Sighing, Marinette obeyed her friend as she was pushed in front of the mirror. "You look _incredible_ ," Alya gushed.

Marinette raised her eyes. What she was was enough to finally make her smile. She didn't know about _incredible_ , but she certainly looked nice. Alya had done well at hemming the seams, and the blue matched her eyes and suited her dark hair and pale skin. It almost reminded her of when she'd been younger and played dress up, trying to look like a princess. She would never admit it, but sometimes she missed those days. "Thanks, Alya," she said, turning and wrapping her arms around her friend. "It looks wonderful."

Alya pulled back and grinned. "And I _guarantee_ Adrien will be staring at you all over again. Hopefully he and Nino have gotten all the stuff by now."

"You go check on them." Marinette nodded toward the door. "They can't have gone far. Just be careful with your dress, okay?"

Alya nodded once, cheerfully, before leaving.

"You really do look beautiful, Marinette." Tiki managed to float up from where she'd been hiding behind the mirror. "Just like a princess."

Marinette twirled briefly, grinning. "You think?"

Tiki nodded. "And I think Alya's right. Adrien will like it."

Marinette's smile disappeared. She glanced toward the basket where she'd hidden the extra outfits and frowned. "I can't be thinking about Adrien tonight," she said after a long pause. "I need to focus on finding Chat."

"You mean fighting the akuma," Tiki corrected.

"Both," Marinette amended, sitting down on the stool and rubbing at her temples.

"Marinette," Tiki warned, "I know you care about Chat Noir, but the akuma is your first priority."

Marinette glanced at the mirror. "I've been thinking about what you said last night, Tiki. About facing the akuma alone. And the fact is, I just - I don't think I _can_."

Tiki frowned. "You're strong, Marinette, all by yourself. You don't need - "

"I don't mean I can't defeat the akuma by myself. I think I could, if I really had to." Marinette played with the fabric of her dress. "But I need to know Chat's okay. It's been distracting me all day. _Everything_ reminds me of him - his costume, the soot in that old fireplace, even Adrien's eyes! I can't stop worrying about him."

"It's natural for Ladybug to worry about her cat," Tiki relented slightly.

"I just need a little time to find him, Tiki." Marinette looked back up at the mirror and could almost see the mask on her face. At the moment it lay hidden in the basket along with the costumes - not an exact replica, of course, but close enough. "That's it, and then I'll take care of the akuma whether he can help or not. I promise."


End file.
